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O'Connell (1775-1847) "The Great Liberator" was born at Carhan and grew up at Derrynane House. In 1791 he joined the Jesuit college at Douai, but fled from revolutionary violence back to Britain. It gave him a lifelong determination to overturn the repression of Ireland and especially of its Catholics solely by legal and constitutional means. The church, built 1888-1902 of granite from County Down, is a mix of neo-gothic and cod-medieval, and still in use as the parish church. The marble foundation stone was a gift from Pope Leo XIII, sourced from the catacombs in Rome. The man himself is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.
Dilapidated remains of a 16th-century castle, blasted by Cromwell in 1652. The masonry was recycled into a house, but this was demolished in the 20th century. Until 2017 you could walk around it, but the landowner then blocked public access, mindful no doubt of the legal repercussions if someone stubbed their toe. So you can admire it from the car park 200 m away, from where it looks more like prize topiary than a castle.
Extensive Victorian gardens: highlights are the Ladies Walled Gardens, the palms and succulents, the Primeval Forest and the Cliff Walk. The house is also a B&B.